Dear Ram-shackled barn,
Your fear of the thunder storm must run deep
It came and rapped at your shutters
And yet you held firm till it passed
Still, you stood

A month went by and you believed the worst had passed
But clouds gathered and with them your fear grew
Darker it became as the hour drew near
Each floor board pressed down hard, nails dug deeper
Your shingles rattled slightly at the first gust of wind
And again your shutters were distressed when the pellets dropped

How do you stand?
Why do you continue?
This must not be easy.
The pain must cut deep when a board is broken
And you must mourn the loss of your once beautifully crafted porch
Bow out while your wood still has a hint of varnish left
For what is coming far outweighs what you have known
Choose a careful dismantling over reckless destruction
Please…

Sincerely,
Time.

Dear Time,
I know how you must feel considering all you know,
You think I should let go and allow myself to be taken down
Trust me, I will do no such thing. I am not as weak as I look
I have sound answers to your questions
Listen carefully…

My foundation goes deeper into the ground than you can ever imagine
Not even the strongest winds will uproot me from this spot where I stand
I admit when the storms come, I do hunker down in fear
Hoping my end is not near
And then I remember the foundation on which I stand.
He won’t let me go. He won’t let me be flung away from His hold.
He is how I stand.

Why do I continue?
Well, it’s simple…
You have visited the ruins in Greece have you not?
You know of their former glory and of the trials they stood
Yet you know how long they will be stared at in awe of their majesty

A good story cannot be told unless a bad one has been known
Let the storms come and reshape me
Let the rain and the sun repaint me
My only real fear is that I will be “carefully dismantled”
For “reckless destruction” will never come
Only continuous molding, reshaping and repainting till my day of glory comes

Faithfully,
Ram-shackled Barn.